Dancing Through the Snow

As a small child, Min was abandoned in a restroom by her caretaker and has been passed between four foster families in eight years, with no idea who her parents are. Little's (Somebody Else's Summer) story opens as Min is being returned to the Children's Aid Office right before Christmas. Jess, a doctor who once treated Min, comes to her rescue, taking Min home because she too was once a foster child. Because of her past history, Min has trouble trusting Jess and making friends (the school bully calls her "Litter-Bin Min"). But Jess's love is steadfast and Min comes around ("In one glorious rush, all her jumbled feelings slid away like snow off a peaked roof. She stood transfixed, trying to take in the fragile wonder dawning within her"). By the end of the story Min has a new mother as well as new friends, including Jess's former foster son, Toby. Though, at times, the dialogue is not entirely credible, as when 12-year-old Toby tells Jess, "You can cuddle with me any time," the story moves smoothly to its unsurprising but satisfying conclusion. Ages 9%E2%80%9413. (Sept.)